Turn off the tap. Don’t let the faucet run when brushing your teeth, shaving, or answering the door. Turning it off while you’re brushing your teeth can save as much as 3,000 gallons of water per year.

Don’t be a drip. Repair leaky faucets. If you ignore the problem you can easily waste 3 gallons a day–or 1,095 gallons a year.

Measure your flow. Faucet and showerhead flow rates are measured in gallons per minute, or gpm. Some fixtures have the gpm marked on the faucet spout or showerhead. If yours doesn’t, here’s how you can measure it. You’ll need a bucket that holds at least a gallon (and has the gallon level marked on it) and a stopwatch or watch with a second hand. Turn the tap or showerhead all the way on, and see how long it takes to get a gallon. Divide the number of seconds into 60 and you have your gpm. (So if it takes 20 seconds, the fixture has a flow rate of 3 gpm). Today’s high-efficiency faucets, faucet accessories, and showerheads provide 1.5 gpm or less, reducing water use by 40% or more while providing excellent performance. If you don’t like your old low-flow showerhead, check out today’s improved products.